yackety-yak

/ ˌjækɪtɪˈjæk /

noun

1. slang.
   noisy, continuous, and trivial talk or conversation Sometimes shortened toyak

Word History and Origins

Origin of yackety-yak¹

of imitative origin

More About Yackety Yak

What does yackety-yak mean?

Yackety-yak is a slang term for aimless, pointless talk, especially when it goes on and on.

The related slang term yack is most commonly used as a verb that means to talk, especially aimlessly, without stopping, and about unimportant things. Yack is also spelled yak and yackety-yak can also be spelled yackety-yack, yakety-yak, or yakity-yak. Yack (or yak) is also sometimes used as a noun to mean the same thing as yackety-yak, as is the word yacking, as in Quit your yacking!

Yackety-yak is the kind of trivial conversation that results from people yacking. Both terms are typically used at least somewhat negatively to criticize talking in such a way and imply that it is annoying or excessive.

Example: Would you two stop your yackety-yak and come help us?

Where does yackety-yak come from?

Terms like yack and yackety-yak are first recorded around the 1940s in the U.S. They are based on an imitation of the sound of background chatter.

Words like yackety-yak and its synonyms are often used in requests to stop such talk or in complaints about it, as in Quit that yackety-yak! or Stop your yacking!  Such terms especially imply that such talk is continuous and not about anything of substance.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to yackety-yak?

• yackety-yack (alternate spelling)
• yakety-yak (alternate spelling)
• yakity-yak (alternate spelling)

What are some synonyms for yackety-yak?

• yacking
• yack
• yak
• yapping
• yammering
• yammer
• chatter
• jabber
• prattle
• prate
• babble
• yadda yadda yadda
• talk

What are some words that share a root or word element with yackety-yak?

• yack

What are some words that often get used in discussing yackety-yak?

• yap
• smalltalk
• conversation
• endless
• trivial
• unimportant
• complain
• on and on
• phone
• blah-blah-blah

How is yackety-yak used in real life?

Yackety-yak is extremely informal. It is often used in at least a mildly negative way to imply that such talk is annoying.

Hey leaders, enough with the yackety-yak. We need a national disability insurance scheme http://t.co/ITUSIKjg

— Crikey (@crikey_news) July 25, 2012

I'm sure these tv quizzes could be 20 minutes shorter if it wasn't for all the Yackety-yak over the blindingly obvious…

— MAW Holmes 🇪🇺 (@MAW_H) October 11, 2016

Man, when you write a horror feature you really learn how much time the yackety-yak takes.

— Jason Boice Love (@JBLove_LA) December 24, 2013

 

Try using yackety-yak!

Which of the following words is a synonym of yackety-yak?

A. prattle
B. jabber
C. chatter
D. all of the above